Australia v Serbia Preview, Prediction, and TV Listings
It’s a must win for the Socceroos while Serbia could advance with a win or draw as the two teams meet in the final group stage match. The match will take place at Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit, South Africa on Wednesday, June 23, 2010. Kickoff is scheduled for 19:30 BST, 20:30 local time in South Africa, and 14:30 EST.
It will be televised on ESPN 2 in the United States, ITV 4 in the United Kingdom, CBC in Canada, SBS in Australia, Al Jazeera Sport in the Middle East, and on SuperSport in Africa.
Australia v Serbia Preview
Serbia will have confidence after their 1-0 win over Germany while Australia kept their chances alive with a 1-1 draw with Ghana. Serbia will advance with a victory while Australia needs a victory some help from the Ghana/Germany match.
Serbia have been strong defensively and play a typical European style which is disciplined and organized. They aren’t a high scoring side and will play a compact style. Knowing that Australia has to go for the three points, Serbia will look for their chances on the counterattack.
Australia have yet to play a match without receiving a red card in this World Cup. They aren’t likely to make it to the next round but still do have a slight chance. The Socceroos will get striker Tim Cahill back and need him to create chances. With Serbia likely to play a conservative style, Australia will need to be patient and use the width of the pitch to create space in the box for Cahill. If they can avoid red card and get strong performances from their top stars (including goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer) then they have a fair chance.
Serbia are not an easy team to break down and will force Australia to play well if they want to get a result. Australia will have to play aggressive which will give Serbia chances on the counterattack. This plays into the hands of the Europeans who should get another win and keep a clean sheet.
Betting Odds
Australia win – 7/2
Draw – 5/2
Serbia win – 4/5
Australia v Serbia Prediction
Serbia will win the match 1-0.
